RESOLUTION 1554 (2004)UNITED NATIONS ADOPTED BY THE
SECURITY COUNCIL, on
The Security
Council,
Recalling all its relevant
resolutions, in particular resolution 1524 of
Welcoming the report of the
Secretary-General of
Recalling the conclusions of
the
Recalling the relevant
principles contained in the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and
Associated Personnel adopted on
Deploring that the
perpetrators of the shooting down of a helicopter of the United Nations
Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) on
Stressing that the continued
lack of progress on key issues of a comprehensive settlement of the conflict in
Welcoming, however, the
positive momentum given to the United-Nations-led peace process by regular
high-level meetings of the Group of Friends in
Welcoming the important
contributions made by UNOMIG and the Collective Peacekeeping Forces of the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS peacekeeping force) in stabilizing the
situation in the zone of conflict, and stressing
its attachment to the close cooperation existing between them in the
performance of their respective mandates,
1. Reaffirms
the commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty, independence and
territorial integrity of
2. Commends
and strongly supports the sustained efforts of the Secretary-General and
his Special Representative, with the assistance of the Russian Federation in
its capacity as facilitator as well as of the Group of Friends of the
Secretary-General and of the OSCE, to promote the stabilization
of the situation and the achievement of a comprehensive political settlement,
which must include a settlement of the political status of Abkhazia within the
State of
3. Reiterates
its strong support for the document on "Basic Principles for the
Distribution of Competences between
4. Deeply
regrets the continued refusal of the Abkhaz side to agree to a
discussion on the substance of this document, again strongly urges the Abkhaz side to receive the document and its
transmittal letter, urges both
parties thereafter to give them full and open consideration, and to engage in
constructive negotiations on their substance, and urges those having influence with the parties to promote this
outcome;
5. Regrets
also the lack of progress on the initiation of political status
negotiations, and recalls, once
again, that the purpose of these documents is to facilitate meaningful
negotiations between the parties, under the leadership of the United Nations,
on the status of Abkhazia within the State of Georgia, and is not an attempt to
impose or dictate any specific solution to the parties;
6. Calls
on the parties to spare no efforts to overcome their ongoing mutual
mistrust and underlines that
the process of negotiation leading to a lasting political settlement acceptable
to both sides will require concessions from both sides;
7. Welcomes
the commitment by the Georgian side to a peaceful resolution of the
conflict and calls on both
parties further to publicly dissociate themselves from all militant rhetoric
and demonstrations of support for military options;
8. Reminds
all concerned to refrain from any action that might impede the peace
process;
9. Welcomes
the convening of regular meetings of senior representatives of the Group
of Friends and the United Nations in Geneva and, while regretting that the
Abkhaz side did not participate in the last meeting, looks forward to the constructive participation of the parties
in the forthcoming meetings;
10. Urges
the parties to participate in a more active, regular and structured
manner in the task forces established in the first Geneva meeting (to address
issues in the priority areas of economic cooperation, the return of internally
displaced persons and refugees, and political and security matters) and
complemented by the working groups established in Sochi in March 2003, and reiterates that results-oriented
activities in these three priority areas remain key to building common ground
between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides and ultimately for concluding meaningful
negotiations on a comprehensive political settlement based on the paper
entitled "Basic Principles for the Distribution of Competences between
Tbilisi and Sukhumi" and its transmittal letter;
11. Encourages
the sides in that respect to continue their discussion on security
guarantees and welcomes the
meeting in
12. Calls
again on the parties to take concrete steps to revitalize the peace
process in all its major aspects, including their work in the Coordinating
Council and its relevant mechanisms, to build on the results of the
confidence-building measures in March 2001
(S/2001/242) and to implement the proposals agreed on that occasion in a
purposeful and cooperative manner, with a view to holding a fourth conference
on confidence-building measures;
13. Stresses
the urgent need for progress on the question of the refugees and
internally displaced persons, calls on
both sides to display a genuine commitment to make returns the focus of
special attention and to undertake this task in close coordination with UNOMIG
and consultations with UNHCR and the Group of Friends;
14. Calls
for the rapid finalization and signature of the letter of intent on
returns proposed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and welcomes the recent meetings with the
participation of the SRSG and UNHCR of the Sochi working group on refugees and
internally displaced persons;
15. Reaffirms
the unacceptability of the demographic changes resulting from the
conflict, reaffirms also the
inalienable right of all refugees and internally displaced persons affected by
the conflict to return to their homes in secure and dignified conditions, in
accordance with international law and as set out in the Quadripartite Agreement
of 4 April 1994 (S/1994/397, annex II) and the Yalta Declaration;
16. Recalls
that the Abkhaz side bears a particular responsibility to protect the
returnees and to facilitate the return of the remaining displaced population;
17. Welcomes
the report of the mission led by the United Nations Development
Programme to the Gali region (December 2003) to assess the feasibility of a
sustainable recovery process for the local population and potential returnees
and to identify further actions to improve the overall security conditions and
ensure sustainable return, and looks
forward to further consultations by UNDP and UNOMIG with the parties
aimed at implementing its recommendations;
18. Urges
the parties once again to implement the recommendations of the Joint
Assessment Mission to the Gali sector (November 2000), regrets that there has been no progress to that effect despite
the positive consideration by the parties given to those recommendations in the
first Geneva meeting and calls again upon
the Abkhaz side to agree to the opening as soon as possible of the Gali branch
of the human rights office in Sukhumi and to provide security conditions for
its unhindered functioning;
19. Expresses
concern that despite the start of the deployment of a civilian police
component as part of UNOMIG, as endorsed in resolution 1494 (2003) and agreed
by the parties, the deployment of the remaining officers in the Gali sector is
still outstanding and calls on the
Abkhaz side to allow for a swift deployment of the police component in that
region;
20. Calls
in particular on the Abkhaz side to improve law enforcement involving
the local population and to address the lack of instruction in their mother
tongue for the ethnic Georgian population;
21. Welcomes
the measures taken by the Georgian side to put an end to the activities
of illegal armed groups and encourages
the maintenance of these efforts;
22. Condemns any
violations of the provisions of the Moscow Agreement of
23. Welcomes
the continuing relative calm in the Kodori valley, condemns the killings and abductions
of civilians as well as the attack on a CIS checkpoint in the Gali sector;
24. Urges
the parties to abide by the provisions of the protocols on security
issues in the Gali sector signed on 19 January 2004 and 8 October 2003, to
continue their regular meetings and to cooperate more closely with each other
to improve security in the sector;
25. Calls
on the Georgian side to provide comprehensive security guarantees to
allow for independent and regular monitoring of the situation in the upper
Kodori valley by joint UNOMIG and CIS peacekeeping force patrols;
26. Underlines
that it is the primary responsibility of both sides to provide
appropriate security and to ensure the freedom of movement of UNOMIG, the CIS
peacekeeping force and other international personnel; strongly condemns in that respect the repeated abductions of
personnel of those missions in the past, deeply
deplores that none of the perpetrators have ever been identified or
brought to justice and reiterates
again that it is the responsibility of the parties to end this impunity;
27. Urges
the parties, once again, to
take all necessary steps to identify those responsible for the shooting down of
a UNOMIG helicopter on 8 October 2001, to bring them to justice, and to inform
the SRSG of the steps taken;
28. Decides
to extend the mandate of UNOMIG for a new period terminating on 31
January 2005, subject to a review as appropriate of its mandate by the Council
in the event of changes in the mandate of the CIS peacekeeping force;
29. Requests
the Secretary-General to continue to keep the Council regularly informed
and to report three months from the date of the adoption of this resolution on
the situation in
30. Decides
to remain actively seized of the matter.
(www.un.org/docs)